Friday, November 01, 2013

Fountain Pen Day Epistle

Text version:
Behold! 'Tis Fountain Pen Day!

For it is written that today ye shall go forth (or fifth) and Fount in a Pen-like manner.

I had planned to engage your interest with cunning employment of a WOODEN pen, but alas, the only one available to me is this example in the Old Man's possession and it is rather too short and tapering to be comfortable to use.

I did dally with investing in a new wooden pen of my own (any excuse), for there are many beautiful examples to be had. Alas, many of them are Limited Editions, and virtually all of them have considerably less attractive price tags. So the most likely candidate was the Lamy ABC, which is aimed at the infant fountain pen user, and has a barrel made of maple. It does have an attractive simplicity, but also a nib capable of withstanding being mashed by the heavy hand of youthful enthusiasm, so not really my thing. Had I an infancy scribe about my person to whom it could have been passed on, that would have been a different matter.

So instead I am writing this with, I think, the cheapest non-disposable fountain pen that Earth pounds can currently buy. With the on-going 20% off offer at Cult Pens at the moment (Oh, dangerous website, get thee from me. But not too far…) you too can be the proud owner of a Platinum Preppy for £2.60.

You get a cartridge with it, so it's ready to go (The purple is vile, btw. And the blue is more a blue-black, so okay for business use) And it's really not half bad.

Plus it has scope for adjustment; this one has been converted to an "eye dropper" filling system, and I've been using them as guinea pigs for nib grinding, This one is now a little finer and with a hint of italic.

Now you can't do THAT with a ballpoint.

Happy Fountain Pen Day!

Paper: Nu: elite B5 notebook

Ink: Diamine Syrah.

N.B. This is what my writing looks like when I'm not being precious about it (and when my back's killing me); it's a lot better than it was, but I suspect apologies are still in order...